In From the Cold
by Lieutenant Caine
Summary: Both Calleigh and Horatio get more than they bargained for when Calleigh goes deep undercover.  K for now.  M later.
1. Chapter 1

**Not long ago I promised that there might be a surprise for the regular readers of the site. After long internal debate, and much consideration, I am going ahead with my plan to follow through with that surprise. **

**A little over a year ago, there was an author on the boards, an author who had to disappear without notice, and with no trace. That author had a loyal following and was pained that both they and the stories had to vanish with no explanation. Present day… A new author emerged and began to write and has developed a loyal following, some of whom are readers of the author who vanished. Although ****_that old author can never be resurrected_****, the stories remain, safely guarded by a trusted friend and I have been given permission to reprint some of those stories with the titles and summaries changed. **

**To those of you who figure out the truth…say absolutely nothing, here or on any other site…or else Lieutenant Blue Eyes and his stories will disappear like the other author did. If that old author's name is ever mentioned anywhere it could jeopardize more than you know****. **

**This story was one of the most popular ones written by that author and it is with a sense of immense pleasure that I present to you:**

**Deep Cover**

**(Reprinted with permission of the original author.)**

"I don't like it, Rick. It's too dangerous." Horatio voiced his opinion almost immediately after the proposal had been laid out.

"I understand, Horatio, but it's already in play. She is the best possible asset for this operation. She knows the weapons; she knows the ammunition; and she's savvy enough to get word back to us without compromising herself or the plan. And I promise you, Horatio, she'll be under constant surveillance either audio or visual or both when possible."

Looking toward the door, Stetler nodded his head at someone outside. The door opened and a woman walked in and seated herself in the chair next to Stetler.

For a moment, Horatio simply didn't recognize her. Then the woman smiled and recognition hit him like a tidal wave.

"Calleigh?...What?...When?...What happened to you, Calleigh?" Shock had the normally composed lieutenant totally rattled.

Calleigh's eyes sparkled with merriment as she watched Horatio process the physical changes to her in the last 24 hours. Her eyes had been transformed from their normal green into a breathtaking aqua shade, thanks to contact lenses. Her face seemed a little more full and rounder. Horatio found out later that she had agreed to temporary silicone implants in her cheeks. Her gorgeous long mane of hair had been cut so that now she sported a short, spiked look. It made her look even sexier if that was possible. But the most shocking change was the color of her hair. The golden blonde that defined Calleigh Duquesne had been replaced with jet black. Even her eyebrows had been dyed to match. The transformation from chic southern belle to sexy, dangerous vixen was incredible.

"…has been made into this pair of earrings. Horatio are you hearing me?" came Stetler's rather annoyed voice.

In truth, Horatio had not heard a word that had some from Stetler's mouth. He was too distracted by Calleigh's appearance to pay the IAB agent much attention. His brain knew he should be listening to the particulars of the information, but his body was too intrigued by the appealing vision in front of him. It seemed to radiate blatant sexual attraction, a sly come-hither aura. It challenged him to respond and if there was one thing Horatio Caine loved, it was a challenge.

"Um…sorry, Rick. Still processing. Continue." Horatio colored slightly at being caught gaping, but refused to look away from Calleigh's eyes. She was enjoying this just a little too much, he could tell by the half smirk that curved her lips.

"Like I was saying, Horatio, her earrings are actually a set of radio transmitters. The left one transmits signals and the right one is capable of receiving short messages of up to 10 seconds in duration. Her phone will be specially equipped to take photos that will automatically be sent to our agents and then deleted from the phone's memory for safety. Unfortunately she won't be able to carry a weapon without suspicion, but we will have an agent within one block of her at all times. If we need to perform an extraction we can get in and out in a hurry.

"How long, Rick?" Horatio asked, fixing Stetler with a hard look. "How long will she be undercover?"

"There's no timeline on this, Horatio. We need her there until we have enough information to take this smuggling ring out." Stetler's voice was implacable.

"So you're telling me I'm losing my ballistics expert indefinitely?" Horatio pressed him.

"At the moment that's the way it is, Horatio. I'll have you a replacement within 24 hours." Stelter stood to leave the room. "You two have 15 minutes and then she's on deck."

After Rick's back had disappeared from view, Horatio looked across the table at Calleigh.

"Calleigh are you sure you want to do this? There's no guarantee you'll be safe. No weapon, and inside one of the most dangerous smuggling rings in Miami…I don't like it, Calleigh. I don't like it at all." Horatio's voice had that soft growl to it that he reserved for the most intense situations.

"Horatio, I'll be okay. And I'll be in contact with you. That was the one condition I forced from Stetler before I agreed to do this. I demanded to be allowed to speak to you on a daily basis. Those calls won't be monitored, Horatio.

Calleigh reached across the table and covered his hand with hers and stoked his fingers with her thumb. The touch provoked a response from him that was slightly less than professional. He raised her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss into her palm.

"Please be careful, Calleigh."

"Always, Handsome." She smiled and then looked down at her watch.

"I've got to go now. I'll be in touch."

"I expect it, Sweetheart."

And then she was gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**_(Many of you will find this chapter to be uncomfortable reading, but it IS undercover work and that means whatever it takes… It was as uncomfortable to write as you will be reading it, I assure you. H is tortured to imagine what Calleigh has to do to gain the information they need. Most of the details of her activities are left to the imagination, but they are implied.)_**

(Three weeks later)

Calleigh eyes flickered open and once again she only barely controlled the urge to throw off the arm that was wrapped securely around her waist. A shiver ran through her body and she steeled herself for the inevitable. The soft snoring behind her turned into a murmur and then she felt warm lips begin to kiss her back. It took all her mental discipline to keep from flinching away from the contact. Instead, she rolled over onto her back and looked up into the eyes of the leader of the most dangerous gun smuggling ring in Miami.

"Morning, Dangerous." His brown eyes twinkled at her as he pulled her close for a kiss.

_Horatio I didn't plan on this. Stetler never warned me. God I need to hear your voice right now…Need to feel your hands touching me, not this creep._

Calleigh let her lips part beneath his and silently her mind clung to thoughts of Horatio as she endured the physical caresses of another man. It was truly an act of endurance since most of the time Rico simply had his way with her regardless of how she responded or felt. Only once had he taken time with her, and that time she had…the memory sent a blush over her entire body. She'd fought her own response until it was impossible to resist any longer, then she simply surrendered to the inevitable laws of human physiology and whispered Horatio's name over and over in her mind as unbidden pleasure swept through her.

This morning he was in a hurry, so it was over quickly and Calleigh gratefully watched as he stood from the bed and headed for the gorgeous glass and gold shower. As soon as she was sure the shower masked any sound, she pulled out her phone and dialed Horatio. He answered on the first ring.

"Calleigh are you okay, Sweetheart?" His voice was strained and tight, clearly affected by his concern for her.

"Horatio, I'm…I'm doing okay. Nothing I can't handle. I just wish it were over already," she responded honestly.

"Just say the word and I'll have him pull you out of there," came his immediate answer.

The sound of his voice so low, satin soft and familiar, sent warmth stealing through her veins and wrapped her in the certainty that he was watching out for her from afar.

"No, Handsome. I've gotten to the top and I've got to get as much information as I can. I can tell you there is a shipment coming in next week, but I haven't heard for sure what day or where."

"Well that is big news, Sweetheart. Are you sure you're okay?" Horatio's voice caressed her through the phone and Calleigh closed her eyes, savoring the pleasure that slid through her senses with each word he said.

"I'm okay as long as I can…" she heard the sound of the bathroom door open and quickly whispered into the phone, "He's coming back to bed, I've got to go." She snapped the phone shut and dropped it to the floor and rolled over onto her back as though she had been sleeping.

She felt rather than saw him stand next to the bed and then suddenly the extra pillow was forced across her face, cutting off her air. She squirmed and fought, knowing that he liked to play rough with her and would eventually let her go. This time he held her down long enough that she was beginning to see gray at the edges of her vision. Then just as suddenly as he had attacked her he snatched the pillow away from her face and leaned down over her. His hand gripped her chin hard and he covered her lips with a brutal kiss. When he raised his head he smirked at the panicked look in her eyes.

"Why so afraid of me, Dangerous? You know I wouldn't really hurt you, right?"

His hands trailed over her bare shoulders and down toward her stomach and then over her hips and then back up along the inside of her thighs. His voice had a dangerous edge to it that hadn't been there before he showered, and Calleigh knew he had shot up before he'd come back out to the bedroom. So using the tactic she knew worked best on him, she took a deep mental breath and smiled up at him.

"Rico, you know I love it when you hurt me." Her voice only trembled slightly and she desperately hoped he would interpret it as desire. To her dismay, he did just exactly that and looked down at her with a wolfish leer on his cruelly handsome face.

"So are you asking for it, Dangerous? Or are you teasing me? You know I don't like teasing," he warned her as he began to pull his shirt from his pants. "I've got just enough time to rough you up a little before I have to go for my meeting with el jefe."

_Oh, no, not again. Horatio…Horatio…_

This time Calleigh couldn't help the tiny cry of pain as he took her roughly.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_He's coming back to bed. _Horatio groaned at the stark implications of Calleigh's words. The mere thought of someone else touching her the way he'd dreamed of for so long sent anguish sweeping through him.

"So help me, Rick Stetler, I'm going to kill you for getting her into this," he growled to his empty room. The sheets were still pooled around his waist and he swept them aside with an impatient movement of his hand. A cold shower was first on his list of things to do.

It was a very edgy and tense Horatio Caine who reported to work that morning, and word soon got around that he was to be avoided at all costs.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

That day was one of the worst of Horatio's life. His mind kept insisting on painting vivid mental images of Calleigh lying bruised and battered beneath the body of some Miami gangster, begging for the pain to stop. Those scenes were bad enough, but worse still were the haunting thoughts of her slender body writhing and squirming with pleasure, thoughts of her lifting her lips for bruising, rough kisses, thoughts of some other man's name whispered from that lucious mouth.

"Calleigh Duquesne, you are going to be the death of me," he groaned aloud to no one in particular.

For two days, no one even approached Horatio unless it was a life or death matter. No one wanted to be caught in the crosshairs of the ill-tempered redhead.

On Wednesday morning, everything changed.

On Wednesday morning, Frank Tripp walked in to Horatio's office wearing a look on his face that said trouble.

Horatio's keen blue eyes locked onto the expression on Frank's face like a heat-seeking missile.

"Talk to me Frank. What have we got?"

"It's more what we don't have, Horatio," came Frank's worried answer. "Calleigh didn't make her scheduled check in at 9:00 this morning, and no one has heard from her since last night when she transmitted a photo of a cache of semi-automatics somewhere in an old warehouse."

Instantly Horatio was on high alert. "Do you have that photo, Frank?" he snapped.

"Figured you'd want to see it," Frank smiled and handed him the grainy picture.

The picture showed a crate of Russian made SKS Carbines and several men working around the crate. In the background, clearly visible was a portion of what was obviously a dock, since a partial identification number along the side of a ship was also noticeable. _Good girl, Cal. Perfect way to take that picture. _Horatio thought. Not only had she provided them with evidence of the shipment that had come in, but she had also managed to give them a means to locate the warehouse as well.

Horatio looked at his watch. 1:27 She was almost an hour and a half late for a scheduled check in. Flipping his phone open he pressed the speed dial for Rick Stetler, the first time he had ever done so.

"Stetler," he barked when Rick answered the phone, "I want to know where she is. She's over an hour late for her regular check in. What are you doing about it, Rick?"

"Horatio, we are letting this play out. Actually we did receive a transmission from the earring mic just about 15 minutes ago. If you'll give me 10 minutes, I'll meet you in your office and you can hear it for yourself."

"I'll be here," Horatio answered angrily.

When Stetler walked through the door, Horatio gave him the glare that had broken hundreds of hardened criminals in Miami. "This had better be good, Rick. When were you going to tell me she had disappeared from the radar?" Horatio growled. "In this kind of operation, even one hour can be fatal. If they made her out as a cop she could be dead by now."

"I know that, Horatio, and she did too." Stetler's voice reflected a portion of the worry that was screaming along Horatio's nerves. "Just listen."

**(static) male voice: You gonna stand there or are you gonna help us load this truck?**

**(static) Calleigh's voice: Give me just a second, Rico. I dropped my contact and I'm having trouble seeing without it.**

**(Sounds of someone shuffling hand on the ground) male voice: Did you find it?**

**(static) Calleigh's voice: Yes, I just did. I'll have it back on in a second. Can you hand me my purse from the front seat of the car, please, babe? **(Horatio cringed visibly at that endearment but said nothing) **I need my saline to wash it. It's got dirt on it.**

At that, the transmission ended.

Rick looked at Horatio with a troubled expression on his usually smug face.

"Horatio…the phrase _I dropped my contact and I'm having trouble seeing without it _was a prearranged code. She's asking for extraction. Apparently they either are already on to her, or they are very close to figuring it out and she feels like she's in danger.

"Rick, she's been in danger from the moment you brought this assignment to her attention. Horatio ground out between clenched teeth. "If anything happens to Calleigh Duquesne, I will personally hunt you down and kill you. Are we clear on that?"

"I hear you, Horatio. I hear the sound of someone who's getting too close to a co-worker. You're in love with her, aren't you?" Stetler taunted.

Horatio took one menacing step toward the IAB agent and glared at him.

"Rick Stetler, I will deal with you when we have Calleigh safely pulled out of this dangerous situation you created." And with that, Horatio spun on his heel and left his office.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

With no time to lose, Horatio grabbed a magnifying lens and carefully studied the photo Calleigh had sent, trying to establish a specific location of the picture. His eyes searched every part of the photo, looking for even the smallest clue that would point them in the right direction. And then he had an idea. It had worked once before when they were racing the clock to find the little girl Stuart Otis had abducted when he had broken out of prison in 2003. They'd used the location recognition software to track Otis to the RV he'd abandoned in the parking lot of the Orange Bowl. Quickly he phoned Eric to tell him what he wanted to try.

Fifteen minutes later, the computer had worked its magic and Horatio was on the phone to Stetler, giving him the location of the picture. Ten more minutes and everyone was gathered around the conference table listening to Stetler detail how the operation was to proceed.

"We go in quietly, no birds in the air. SWAT will front us as well as MDPD in plain cars. And I stress QUIETLY people. If we tip these people off that we are coming we could lose not only the bust, but also Ms. Duquesne as well. And remember…she doesn't look like what you're used to. This is a photo of her one week ago taken by our surveillance team. Take a good look."

Stetler displayed several copies of a black and white photo showing Calleigh standing with a group of men and several women. The only really recognizable thing about her was her smile. The group studied the pictures carefully, realizing that in the chaos of a surprise operation, it would be dangerously easy to make a mistake, especially when adrenaline was pumping through veins in the heat of gunfire.

Stetler continued. "We suspect that the gang may have identified her as law enforcement, but we aren't sure. To that end, whoever takes her down has to make it look authentic. Handcuffs, the whole deal. Is that clear?"

From across the table, Horatio's voice came low and ominous. "Stetler, she's mine."

"Horatio, you know that there is no way to…" he never finished his sentence, because Horatio rose slowly from his seat, leaned across the table and looked him straight in the eyes.

"I'm going to tell you one more time, Rick. Calleigh Duquesne is mine in this take down." Horatio's voice was velvety soft, but the underlying steel in his tone was unmistakable.

Tension crackled between the two men and the room was suddenly quiet, all eyes watching the drama play out between two equally intense rivals. Finally after long seconds it was Stetler who looked away. When he spoke again it was in a voice that held tightly leashed fury.

"No one touches Duquesne but Horatio."

Six weeks worth of repressed anger, worry, fear, frustration, desire and a myriad other volatile emotions clawed at Horatio's self-control causing his hands to tighten on the steering wheel of the Hummer. The anger was predominant in his mind. Anger at Stetler for putting Calleigh in danger. Anger at Calleigh for agreeing to the assignment. Anger that he'd had no control over the situation once Calleigh walked out the door. Anger at the thought of her going in without a weapon beyond her keen wit and instinct for survival. And anger…no, fury at the thought of some other man possessing that beautiful body with nothing more than physical lust as motivation. The closer he got to the warehouse, the more agitated he became and the more grimly he held control over himself. When he finally arrived with the rest of the convoy of Hummers and MDPD vehicles he was battling a lethal combination of anger and desire, not entirely successfully.

The SWAT team was deployed first, and Horatio watched impatiently as they approached the warehouse per protocol, surrounded it and then signaled the rest of the group to move into position.

Frank, Horatio, Ryan and Eric approached the tall metal doors of the warehouse with their weapons drawn and their bodies crouched in the classic sideways stance. Horatio took point and reaching with his left hand, he carefully pushed the door open, hoping fervently that it wouldn't make a sound. Such luck was not to be had. The rusty hinges, probably left there by design, let out a loud, ear-splitting screech. Instantly there was noise from within, and Horatio and the team threw off the pretense of quiet and charged inside.

"Miami-Dade Police! Drop your weapons!" Horatio yelled as he and the others cleared the door, followed by a swarm of MDPD uniformed officers.

The scene that met his eyes would be burned into his mind for months after that moment.

Calleigh was lying on a couch in one corner of the warehouse in the arms of a tall, bulked up Hispanic man who was in the act of undressing her. _So we meet, _thought Horatio. He trained his weapon on the man and motioned for him to get up off Calleigh.

"Get a room," he snarled as he started toward the man.

Slowly the man got up, hands in the air, and began to step away from the couch, leaving Calleigh still lying there partly unclothed. Her eyes met Horatio's for one brief second and then she quickly rolled to the floor, clawed for the gun that was hidden under the couch and made a dash for the hallway just beyond.

"Frank, take him. She's mine!" Horatio shouted, and clearing the couch in a single graceful leap, he took off after Calleigh. In three long strides he had caught up to her and in textbook form he launched himself at her, bringing her down face first with a hard tackle. He heard her gasp as her ribs impacted with the concrete floor, and then she began to fight him. He body squirmed and twisted beneath him as he struggled to subdue her. The movements of her lithe form against him sent desire scorching through his senses and Horatio had to fight back the powerful urge to roll her over on her back and kiss her senseless. Instead, he placed one knee in her back, twisted her gun hand all the way up to her shoulder blade, mindless of her yelp of pain, and then standing up, he roughly jerked her to her feet. Even with her arm compromised she continued to fight until Horatio forced her over to the wall.

"Against the wall and spread 'em," he snarled, well aware of the double meaning of his words.

"Oh, you'd like that wouldn't you?" Calleigh snapped out, still in character and still trying to pull away from his iron grip.

Horatio placed one hand in her back and forced her face first against the rough plaster, scraping her cheek. She still refused to cooperate and he increased the pressure of his hand against her back until she finally stopped trying to twist away from him.

"Don't flatter yourself, Sweetheart," he growled as he twisted first one hand behind her back and then the other. He easily held both of her wrists captive in his left hand while his right hand pulled his handcuffs from his belt. Cold metal bit into Calleigh's tender flesh as Horatio snapped the cuffs on her tightly. Finally he jerked her away from the wall and led her back down the hall toward the others.

When they rejoined the other officers and the CSI team, Frank took one look at Calleigh and felt his blood pressure skyrocket. _Hell, Horatio, he said to make it look authentic, but he didn't say anything about police brutality. _There were bloody scratches on her cheek from the wall and her clothes were torn, exposing a tantalizing view of her flat, well-toned stomach, which just happened to show a rapidly forming bruise from the hard fall she'd taken when Horatio tackled her.

"Looks like that one put up a fight, Horatio," Frank commented dryly.

"She tried, Frank." Horatio answered as he turned Calleigh toward the door.

"You are coming with me," he informed her.

"Horatio?" Frank asked, realizing that Horatio was breaking from procedure. "Is that wise?"

"This one has given us a lot of trouble, Francis. She's all mine."

And with that, Horatio forcefully escorted Calleigh out the door and straight toward his waiting Hummer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**A/N For this chapter of the story, I consulted a dear friend for advice on the line between aggressive, possessive sex, and rape. As a rape victim who knows by painful experience, she assured me that I have not crossed the line in writing Horatio's actions toward Calleigh in this chapter. However to those of you who may feel uncomfortable with the contents of this chapter, I will apologize and beg your forgiveness up front.**

Once outside and away from the eyes of the curious, Calleigh finally dropped out of her role and looked sideways at Horatio

"Did you have to be so rough with me, Handsome?" she asked in a slightly offended voice.

"Stetler said to make it authentic, and besides you agreed to this assignment." He snapped.

"Did he say anything about almost breaking my ribs?" Calleigh's tone was almost as sharp now as Horatio's. "And yes, I did agree to the assignment, but I didn't agree to what you did to me. That was police brutality, pure and simple, Horatio."

"You knew the risks, Calleigh…ALL of them," Horatio reminded her pointedly, the look on his face leaving her no doubt as to his meaning.

Calleigh stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look him square in the eyes. When she spoke, her voice was choked with barely controlled tears.

"Do you think I wanted to do some of the things I had to do?" She asked him. "Do you really think I wanted him to touch me, to kiss me, to…" she couldn't finish that thought. "Do you think I enjoyed that, Horatio?"

"Did you, Calleigh?" His question caught her totally off guard and her memory replayed the one time she'd actually responded to Rico's touch with something other than revulsion. "Did you?" he demanded.

His hand grabbed her chin like a talon to force her head up to his, but Calleigh couldn't look him in the eyes, couldn't bear to let him see the truth. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and silently prayed he would forgive her for the one time she had been human.

_Rico's hands had been surprisingly gentle that one time, and Calleigh had been so afraid and tense and worried, and was so tired of the charade that she simply surrendered herself to the small measure of comfort that presented itself at that moment. __**Horatio it was you I thought of, your hands I felt, your kisses that thrilled me, your body that I welcomed deep into my own. It wasn't him. Please believe me, Horatio. Please. I…I love you.**_

White-hot fury burned through Horatio when Calleigh couldn't answer him. It took all his self-control to keep from shaking her until her teeth rattled. Instead, he took her elbow in an iron grip and forced her to move again toward the Hummer.

"So help me, Calleigh…" Horatio started to say and then clenched his jaw tightly, shutting off the rest of the words that threatened to spill from his lips.

He roughly helped her up into the passenger seat and reached across her to buckle the seat belt. As he did, his cheek accidentally brushed across her lips and he froze in mid-motion. Slowly he turned his head to look into her eyes. He saw the need flash across her face and he simply reacted. His mouth crushed against hers in an explosive kiss. His hands gripped her shoulders to press her back against the seat as he plundered her lips, driving his tongue in deeply to stroke and caress. Then suddenly he broke the kiss and pulled back, gasping for breath.

"God, Sweetheart, I've got to get you out of here," he groaned.

His eyes took in the hungry look in her expression and he had to force himself to pull back away from her. Calleigh's pulse went through the stratosphere when he reached for the seat controls and forced her seat into a fully reclined position, very effectively rendering her as good as blind. Quickly he closed her door, sprinted around to the driver's side, jerked open his own door and vaulted into the driver's seat.

The tires of the Hummer spit gravel for several yards as Horatio accelerated away from the scene.

A heavy, almost ominous silence settled down around them as Horatio drove toward…Calleigh wasn't sure where he was going, couldn't see, but where it was, it seemed that Horatio was determined to get there in a terrible hurry. The scenery that she could see flashed by at such a high rate of speed it made Calleigh slightly dizzy, so she shut her eyes and tried to relax. The handcuffs made that almost impossible.

After what seemed like forever, Calleigh felt the Hummer slowing, heard what seemed to be gravel crunch under the wheels and then all was silent as the Hummer rolled to a stop. She strained to raise up far enough to see, but couldn't get enough leverage without the use of her hands, and she let her head fall back helplessly against the seat.

"Stay down, Calleigh," Horatio commanded. "You'll know where we are soon enough."

Letting himself out of the Hummer, Horatio went to the back of the vehicle, unlocked the rear door and then came around to Calleigh's door and opened it. He unfastened her seatbelt, grabbed her arm and hauled her out of the seat. Bright sunlight assaulted her eyes and she blinked a few times to adjust her vision. Then she realized where they were. Horatio had taken them deep into the glades. They were alone with no one around for miles. Since her wrists were still chalked by the handcuffs, she stumbled slightly stepping down from the Hummer and fell hard against him, her face coming to rest against his chest. Calleigh heard his hissing intake of breath and the found herself crushed against him as his lips came crashing down on hers.

All the pent up emotions of two months came flooding out and Horatio lost all semblance of control. His hands stroked over her back and shoulders and hips, urging her closer to him. Desperate, angry kisses rained down from his mouth and he growled as Calleigh fought to arch herself closer to his body, hampered by her tightly bound arms. Then one of his hands slid behind her head to grip her hair tightly and force her head back, exposing her slender neck to his ravaging touch.

"Do you know the torture I've endured, Calleigh?" he snarled, as his lips left hers to leave hot kisses along her neck. "Do you know how I've lain awake at night, trying to get the thought of you in his arms out of my head? Do you?"

His teeth grazed sharply along the tender skin toward her collarbone and Calleigh gasped in growing arousal.

"Horatio, I…" she never finished her sentence because his mouth came back to silence her with another bruising kiss. Forcing her lips open with his tongue, he took the kiss deep, sensual, with no mistake as to its meaning. He was marking her as his, reclaiming territory that had been violated by another man's touch. When the need for air forced him to tear his lips from hers, he raised his head and glared down at her possessively.

"Damn you for taking that assignment, Calleigh. I've been through two months of hell." His breath came in ragged hitches. His chest heaved with uncontrolled emotion, and his eyes burned with an intense need.

Calleigh watched breathlessly as Horatio raised his hands to her blouse and grasped the neck of it…then she moaned in undisguised desire as he ripped it open with one swift downward pull. His eyes glittered dangerously as he drank in the lovely sight he had revealed. Creamy skin seemed to beckon him and he licked his lips.

"Horatio, please…" she whispered.

"Shut up, Calleigh," he snarled just before he lowered his head and began to lay rough kisses across the gentle curves of her breasts. His hands cupped her through her bra, his thumbs stroking hard across the already hardened nipples, causing her to cry out with pleasure.

Calleigh was drowning in sensation, reveling in the possessive way he was claiming her body. When he lifted his head, she groaned at the loss of contact with his warm mouth until he grabbed her by the arm and forced her to walk to the back of the Hummer. With one hand he kept her steady, and with the other he threw open the back door of the vehicle.

"Inside, Calleigh, on your back," he ordered.

Calleigh had no choice but to obey him since his hand was already firmly prodding her toward the open area behind the back seat. Again her inability to use her hands hampered her movement and she fell face first onto the floor of the Hummer. She lay there helpless, her heart hammering, her breath coming in short, painful gasps. Horatio clambered up beside her and jerked the back door closed.

Gentleness had long since evaded him and Horatio grasped her shoulder and forced her over onto her back. Looking down into her eyes, he reached for the waistband of her jeans, unsnapped them and peeled both the pants and her soaking wet panties down her legs. Then he began to remove his own shirt. Once that article of clothing was gone his hands went to his belt and swiftly slid it from the belt loops, then unbuttoned and unzipped his pants. Shoving them down his legs, he discarded them to the side.

Anticipation, need, desire and a small flicker of fear surged through Calleigh as Horatio stretched himself above her. He settled the lower half of his body firmly against hers and he felt her immediate response. She couldn't help the sharp spike of need that arched her body toward his.

Lowering his head, Horatio covered her lips in a debilitating kiss, and Calleigh moaned into his mouth. Her quiet sounds turned into sharp gasps as his hand slid down between her legs and found her hot, wet, and ready. Strong fingers stroked into her and Calleigh was lost in the sensations that poured through her body at his rough touch.

He raised his head from hers and ordered in a husky voice, "Calleigh look at me. I want it to be my face you see when you come."

Her eyes flickered open to look into his and she whimpered at the desire she saw there.

Making sure that she was locked into his gaze, he raised his hips, slid into position, and plunged into her with one quick, sharp thrust.

Calleigh gasped at the sensation of him suddenly filling her. Then she began to move her hips against him, frantically trying to take him in deeper.

"Do you know how close I came to taking you back at that warehouse when you were fighting me, Calleigh?" he asked in a tight voice as he began to stroke into her.

"I wanted you to, Horatio," she managed to say in spite of the wave of pleasure that were threatening to swamp her ability to think and talk at each thrust of his body into hers.

"I know you did," he groaned. "I had to get you out of there…" His hips had established a rhythm that was driving Calleigh crazy.

"God, Calleigh," he gasped out between deep, punishing strokes, "don't…ever…do this…to me…again…" the words had barely left his lips before an overpowering climax ripped through him and his ability for meaningful speech evaporated in a blaze. Dimly he felt Calleigh tremble and shudder beneath him as she too lost control and surrendered to the pleasure that wracked her body.

Passion spent, Horatio felt a sudden protectiveness come over him toward the beautiful woman lying pinned beneath him. He carefully rolled off her and looked down at her.

Her eyes were closed and tears trickled down the sides of her face. One side of that beautiful face was marred with scratches from when he'd shoved her against the wall. Her neck and shoulders were marked by his rough possessive kisses. Her back was arched awkwardly because of the handcuffs still binding her wrists behind her back. Then his eyes fell on her ribs and he saw the bruise that spread more than halfway up her side from her hip all the way up under her right arm.

Remorse swept through him and he tenderly gathered her into his arms. Tears stung his eyes as he reached for his pants with one hand and quickly dug in his pocket for the keys to the handcuffs. Holding her gently against his chest he reached behind her and quickly undid the cuffs, slipping them from her wrists and flinging them away from him in distaste.

"Calleigh, Calleigh. I am so sorry, Sweetheart…so sorry." His voice was broken and his face was wet with his own tears. "Please…please forgive me, Calleigh," he whispered.

Calleigh's answer was to gingerly wrap her arms around his waist and nestle closer to him, hiding her face against his chest and sobbing like a lost child.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Horatio held Calleigh close, cuddling her against his chest as she cried out two months of tension and fear. His hands stroked over her back in soothing motions and he whispered softly in her ear.

"Shhh. Sweetheart, it's okay. I've got you. It's all over now."

"Hold me, Horatio. Just hold me." Calleigh's voice was soft and trembling.

"As long as you need," he answered quietly as his lips brushed feather light kisses over her bare shoulders.

Calleigh nuzzled into his warm touch, drawing comfort from the very hands that had ravaged her only moments before. Gradually her tears slowed and then stopped completely, and she raised her head to look up into Horatio's eyes.

He raised one hand and tenderly smoothed away the lingering tears from her cheeks and then lightly traced the outline of her lips with one finger.

"Calleigh…Calleigh can you…" his voice faltered then steadied momentarily, "…can you ever forgive me for what I…for what I did to you?" His voice trembled on the last word and he lowered his eyes from hers, unable to hide the crushing guilt that bore on him.

"Oh, Handsome," Calleigh said softly, "there's nothing to forgive. Don't punish yourself so."

"Sweetheart," he whispered, only half allowing himself to believe that she was absolving him of his guilt. He slowly leaned in for a kiss. His lips eased onto hers and Calleigh melted into his arms with a sigh of pleasure.

Before the kiss could go any deeper, Horatio pulled back and looked down into her eyes.

"Calleigh we need to get you home and taken care of properly. You are coming home with me, is that okay?"

"That sounds heavenly. I'm so tired, and…" she stopped, not wanting to make him feel any worse than his conscience already had him feeling.

"So tired and what, Sweetheart?" he asked gently.

"Tired and sore. I hurt, Handsome…but please, please don't blame yourself. Please…"

Her eyes pled with him to forgive himself for the rough way he had claimed her body.

"Calleigh, it will take a long time for me to…"

Calleigh stopped his words of self-incrimination with a finger across his lips. "Shhh. No more. It's over. And I don't hold one thing against you." She sealed that promise with a sweet, gentle kiss. Horatio clung to that kiss like a drowning man hugs a life preserver.

Finally he pulled back. "Come on, Sweetheart, let's get dressed and head back to civilization." He winked at her and was rewarded with a tiny grin.

When they began to hunt for the various articles of clothing that had been discarded in the heat of passion, they discovered that Horatio had torn her shirt badly enough that it was useless. The sight of the ruined blouse sent another sharp pang of guilt lancing through him and he swallowed hard, realizing just how close he'd come to actually…he couldn't finish that thought.

He pondered for a moment and then he picked up his own shirt and placed it around Calleigh's shoulders, helping her slide her arms into sleeves that were much too long. Then he began to button the shirt from the bottom up, stopping when he reached the top one. Grasping the collar, he gently pulled her toward him and placed a sweet kiss on her lips and smiled down at her.

When they finally finished dressing, both of them made a comical picture with Calleigh literally swimming in his shirt, and Horatio clad only in his dress slacks and undershirt. They both took a long look at each other and grinned.

"Aren't we a sight for sore eyes?" Horatio observed. "Come on, Sweetheart. Let's go home."

The drive was a quiet one, with Horatio holding Calleigh's hand the entire way. His thumb stroked across the back of her knuckles in a soft caress, and Calleigh's eyes fluttered closed, shutting out all sensation but Horatio's touch. She had relaxed to the point of a light doze by the time they pulled into the circle drive in front of his home.

Horatio leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her cheek, rousing her gently.

"Calleigh, Sweetheart," he whispered against her face, "Come on. We're here."

"Okay," she murmured in a slurred voice as she raised her head from the headrest and opened sleepy green eyes.

Horatio helped her out of the Hummer and keeping an arm firmly wrapped around her waist, he walked her to the front door.

A curious weakness had descended on Calleigh, making her grateful for the strong support of Horatio's arm. The tension of the last two months, the physical pain of the brutal arrest, and the emotional havoc of the rough sexual encounter all combined to rob her of her energy.

Once inside, Horatio closed and locked the door, and then gently lifted Calleigh into his arms and strode purposefully down the hall toward the master suite. She lay there against his warm chest completely trusting, her arms draped loosely around his neck.

Horatio's original intent was the master bathroom adjoining the splendid bedroom. His idea was to draw a deep, warm soothing bath to soothe Calleigh's injuries and relax her. That thought died a quick death though when Calleigh looked up into his eyes and whispered.

"Horatio…make love to me…please."

His breath lodged somewhere deep in his throat and his heart threatened to split open his ribcage.

"Calleigh, I don't know if that's…"

Whatever else he was about to say was lost when Calleigh pulled his head down to hers and pressed soft lips against his.

"Please, Horatio…I need this," she begged him.

"Sweetheart, I…" and then he simply gave in to her plea.

He covered her lips in a deep, hungry kiss. His tongue probed gently, requesting permission to enter and Calleigh moaned and parted her lips, granting him entry. Slowly, seductively he stroked his tongue against hers, caressing and teasing. Then he traced the outline of her lips before trailing soft kisses along her jaw line. The sensation of his warm breath gliding over her skin sent tingles of pleasure dancing along her nerve endings and Calleigh whimpered with delight.

His lips moved down her neck in tender caresses, his tongue licking gently at the welts he'd left there earlier. Then he flattened his tongue against her throat and dragged it moistly across her skin, filling himself with her intoxicating taste until he came to the collar of his shirt. He nuzzled it aside as he continued to lick and kiss his way along her collarbone. The racing pulse felt under his lips arrested his attention and he lavished kisses across that portion of her neck until Calleigh went weak in the knees with wanting him and had to cling to his shoulders for support. Then he raised his head and looked down into her passion-glazed eyes.

"Calleigh," he murmured, "as much as I like the sight of you in my shirt, I'd much rather see you out of it."

Calleigh sighed with pleasure as his hands began to unbutton the shirt. Each time he loosened a button he kissed her. Each kiss was more passionate that the one before until finally, when he came to the last button of the shirt, Calleigh was beyond rational thought. Horatio eased the shirt from her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, leaving Calleigh bared to his adoring eyes.

"Calleigh, you are so soft, so beautiful," he whispered. "I love you. Oh, how I love you."

Taking care not to put too much pressure on her injured ribs, Horatio settled his hands against her creamy skin and drew her closer to him. Then he softly drew his fingertips over her back and shoulders in tender caresses that left Calleigh shivering with need.

His hands were infinitely gentle as he unsnapped her bra and let it too fall to the floor beside his shirt. Calleigh arched against him, offering her body to him in silent communication of her need for his touch. He softly cupped her full, ripe breasts in his hands, and then lowered his head and lavished kisses over her, causing her head to fall backward in ecstasy. Her soft cries inflamed him and he whispered her name over and over against her soft, silken skin.

Almost instinctively, Calleigh thrust her hips against his, seeking contact that would soothe the aching arousal that threatened to consume her. Taking her wordless cue, Horatio continued his sensual caresses, letting his hands glide downward toward her jeans. With gentle fingers he unfastened the snap and slowly stroked his hand beneath the material, sliding lower until he reached warm, sweet wetness. He groaned as her very essence coated his fingers. Lightly he stroked into her, caressing her until Calleigh could only cling to him and whimper with need.

Realizing that she wouldn't be able to stand much longer, he withdrew his hand and gently worked the jeans down her legs, depositing them on the floor. Then he carefully backed her toward the king-sized bed, and wrapping one arm around her waist, he lowered her onto the soft covers, following her down. Being careful not to place his entire weight against her slender form, he leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her lips and then pulled away long enough to shrug out of his undershirt and remove his slacks and boxers. Then he stretched himself alongside her and began to kiss his way over her body. His hands moved across her skin in light, gentle strokes that had Calleigh desperate for more and she arched her body closer to him, seeking more contact with his hard, warm chest.

"Horatio, please…" she begged him. "I need you now."

Her eyes were swimming with desire, her body on fire with the need to feel him buried deep inside her.

Carefully, Horatio raised himself above her and supported most of his weight on his forearms. He cradled her head in his hands and then leaning down he kissed her and slowly, tenderly entered her at the same time. He felt rather than heard her tiny gasp of pain, felt her body go rigid beneath him and instantly held himself motionless.

"Sweetheart, does it hurt?" he said quietly.

Her eyes opened and he saw her answer written in the tears that shimmered there.

"Shhh, it's okay. We don't have to finish." He started to pull away from her, but she topped him with a tiny shake of her head.

"No…" she breathed.

"Sweetheart…are you sure?" he questioned.

"Please, Horatio, I need this." Looking down at her, he saw the pain in her eyes, but he also saw need and desire.

Gently he kissed her and then wrapping his arms snuggly around her to hold her close, he carefully rolled over onto his back. Calleigh ended up lying securely on top of him. The change in positions ease her discomfort and she relaxed enough to settle against him, taking his full length into her completely.

"Better now?" he asked softly.

"Mmm," came her murmured assent. Then she began to rock slowly against him, each movement of her body sending pleasure coursing through her. She rode him gently at first, but with each stroke she made, her body demanded more and she increased her tempo, taking him deeper with each thrust.

Carefully gauging her reaction, Horatio gripped her hips gently and began to thrust slowly into her each time she moved against him. He felt the first tiny clenching of her muscles as her pleasure increased, felt her movements begin to lose their rhythm and softly whispered.

"Let go, Sweetheart. Let the pleasure soothe the pain. I've got you."

Calleigh opened her eyes and looked down at him, her eyes widening at the intense wave of pleasure that threatened to sweep her senses away.

"Horatio…Horatio…" she was incapable of further speech.

"That's it, Calleigh. Just give in to it. Let go." He urged her.

Her felt her clench tightly around him, felt the sweet warm flood of wetness around him and heard her groan of pure pleasure as her orgasm swept through her. He closed his eyes and with one deep, hard thrust into her, he came with her, pouring himself into her and shuddering as pleasure seared through his body.

Calleigh collapsed onto his chest, trembling and spent, and Horatio's arms enfolded her and held her tenderly.

After several moments, Calleigh recovered enough to raise her head and look down at Horatio. An impish little gleam sparkled in her eyes.

"Mmm. Now if that's the way you make it up to me for such a rough arrest, I wouldn't mind having you cuff me more often, Handsome."

"Calleigh!" His voice was shocked and then he realized she was teasing him. "Sweetheart…"

Calleigh leaned down and kissed him soundly and then moved off him to lie beside him totally relaxed and content. Horatio snuggled her firmly against his chest and nuzzled her neck just behind her ear. She giggled and he realized that she was ticklish there. Deliberately he nipped and kissed her until she was breathless with laughter.

"Wow. If I'd known how ticklish you are, I wouldn't have had to use the cuffs on you, Sweetheart. I'd have just kissed you." He chuckled as he kissed her once more, then he became serious again. "Calleigh, please promise me you won't ever take such a dangerous assignment again. It took too much out of both of us, and I for one am too old for that kind of stress."

"I promise, Handsome." Then she grinned that mischievous grin and said, "Which one of us gets first shot at Stetler?"

"You leave Stetler to me, Sweetheart," Horatio growled low in his throat, "... just leave Rick Stetler to me."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Both Calleigh and Horatio would have loved nothing more than to spend the rest of the afternoon, making up for two very stressful months, but they both knew Stetler would be expecting a full report from both of them.

"Horatio, do we really have to go back and do this today?" Calleigh asked with a small sigh.

"Uh huh, we do." He dropped a sweet kiss on her forehead. "I hate it too, but the sooner we get it over, the better."

"I suppose you're right," she agreed, "but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

Horatio laughed at that remark. "You are a piece of work, Sweetheart." He kissed her once more and then sat up in bed. "Now…up with you and let's see if we can find a top to go with your jeans. It would seem that yours somehow got rather torn during the day's events."

Calleigh blushed and felt heat spread through her with the memory of Horatio's hands ripping the garment from her body. It had been exciting and deeply arousing to have him be so aggressive with her. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts of the distracting images, she swung her legs out of bed and stood up, stretching tired and deliciously sore muscles.

"I need a quick shower first. Give me 15 minutes and I'll be ready to go."

"It's all yours," Horatio said with a smile.

Calleigh looked at him with a sly smile on her face. "You know if we showered together it would be faster…"

Horatio's breath caught and his pulse rate went through the roof. The thought of standing under jets of steaming hot water with a very willing Calleigh in his arms…

"Caleigh, if we do…if we do, you know we'll never get back to work. Now scram. I'll use the guest bathroom. Off with you, Sweetheart, before I change my mind." His smile took any sting out of his words and Calleigh disappeared into the master bath with a laugh, but not before she puckered up her lips and blew him a kiss.

"Woman!" he growled in mock disapproval.

A little less than an hour later, Calleigh and Horatio were back at CSI headquarters, seated at the large conference table with Rick Stetler and several other officers, giving their report on the take down of the gun smuggling ring.

For three hours the men questioned Calleigh, extracting every tiny bit of information from her that she had gleaned during her two months inside the smuggling operation. She gave them names, times of shipments and locations, and she also gave them the leader of the smuggling ring, one Ricardo Moralez, aka Rico. And she identified the overseas sellers who had been funneling the illegal arms into the port of Miami under the cover of a legitimate sounding shell company.

The group was impressed. Even the most seasoned veterans among them had to admit that Calleigh had done more in two months than the entire department had been able to do in the course of two whole years of undercover work. Armed with the intelligence she had sent them by code and the photos she had taken they were sure they could win indictments against the entire group. A recommendation for commendation for CSI Calleigh Duquesne was given and everyone heartily endorsed it, much to Calleigh's embarrassment. Finally they adjourned and drifted out of the conference room in twos and threes, congratulating themselves on a successful operation.

Rick had just started to leave the room, when the sound of Horatio's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Rick, I'd like a word with you." Horatio's voice was icy cold.

"Of course, Horatio. What's on your mind…as if I didn't know already. " Stetler replied as he turned back to look at Horatio and Calleigh still seated at the conference table.

"You want to take me to task over some of the, shall we say, **unpleasantries**, Calleigh went through to get us this information, aren't you?"

"Your powers of observation serve you well, Rick."

With catlike grace, Horatio rose from the table and moved to stand directly in front of the taller man. He was shorter than Rick by several inches, but the sheer force of his dominating presence towered over Stetler and rick found himself withing to be anywhere besides in that conference room with a very angry Lieutenant Horatio Caine.

When Horatio spoke again it was in an ominously soft voice.

"Rick Stetler, you know I could have your job for this. You put her in a position of compromise to get your precious information, and because of your insistence that she take this assignment, she was sexually assaulted by one Ricardo Moralez. She was under duress and by definition any physical act made on her person in such conditions can be considered assault. You know a judge would agree with me."

"Horatio…" Rick interrupted, "Ms. Duquesne agreed to this job. She was not forced to do anything against her will. She knew the inherent risks and was willing to take those risks for the good of the department. And may I remind you, she is technically the property of this department, and as such is required to fulfill any obligation we deem necessary."

For a terrifying second, Calleigh thought Horatio was actually going to hit Stetler. His hands balled up into tightly clenched fists and his jaw muscles worked furiously as he struggled to control the rage that threatened to erupt at Stetler's referral to Calleigh as property.

"Rick Stetler, if I ever hear you refer to her again as merely **property**, the only property you will ever need to worry about is an 8ft deep by 7ft by 32 inch hole in the ground that I will personally dig and throw you into. And what's more, you will never again approach her about another assignment like this one. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

"Are you threatening me, Horatio?" Came Rick's soft answer.

"No, just making a simple statement of fact."

"Dully noted, Horatio…Oh by the way, one of my men noticed that Ms. Duquesne's shirt was torn as she was escorted from the scene earlier today. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"

Rick never saw the punch coming until he was lying flat on his back looking up at the ceiling of the conference room wondering what had just happened to him. Blood poured from his nose and his lips were a shredded mess.

"Horatio!" Calleigh gasped, unable to believe what she had just seen.

Horatio stood there motionless, blood dripping from his split knuckles. He looked down at Stetler and snarled, "Never again, Rick. Never again."

He turned to look at Calleigh. "Let's go, Sweetheart. I seem to remember that we have unfinished business to attend to."

Much later that night, lying in Horatio's arms. Calleigh thoughtfully chewed on her bottom lip, considering whether to ask him the question that had been on her mind all evening. Finally she gathered up the courage and turned to look at him.

"Horatio…I was…wondering…" she hesitated and her face turned bright pink.

"That's a very becoming blush, Sweetheart. What is it you want?" He said looking at her with amusement twinkling in his blue eyes.

"Would you…" her face turned even brighter pink and she finally leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear.

Horatio eyes went wide and he sucked in a gulp of air.

"Calleigh…Calleigh are you sure?" he asked. His voice had suddenly gone husky with desire.

"Please…" she whispered.

Looking deep into her eyes once more for assurance that she truly wanted what she had asked him for, Horatio quickly flipped her over on to her stomach, stretched himself above her and forced her legs apart with his knee. He gently pinned her wrists to the bed. She lay beneath him in a spread eagle position, completely at his mercy. Leaning down, he laid tender kisses along her back and up her neck to her ear. He traced the outline of her ear with his tongue and whispered seductively, "Against the wall, and spread 'em, Calleigh."

FIN


End file.
